[06/15/09 - 01:48 PM]Cartoon Network's Total Drama Action Premieres as Most-Watched Program of the Day on All TV Among Kids 6-11, Kids 9-14, All BoysCartoon Network spins the numbers for Thursday, June 11.

[via press release from Cartoon Network]

Cartoon Network's Total Drama Action Premieres as Most-Watched Program of the Day on All TV among Kids 6-11, Kids 9-14, All Boys

New Animated Reality Series Rockets Network to Its Best Thursday Night Prime Time Performance Year-to-Date

New Episodes of Hit Animated Series Flapjack and 6Teen Also Drive Thursday Prime Time Gains

Officially kicking the summer television season into high gear, Cartoon Network's newest animated series Total Drama Action premiered Thursday night (June 11, 9 p.m.) as the most-watched program of the day on all television�broadcast and cable�among kids 6-11, kids 9-14 and boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The animated reality series charted double- and triple-digit ratings and delivery gains across all kid demos and ranked as the network's highest-rated telecast year-to-date among kids 9-14. Coupled with brand new episodes of original animated comedy series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (8:30 p.m.) and 6Teen (9:30 p.m.), Total Drama Action drove the HAR HAR THARSDAYS comedy block (8-10 p.m.) to a significant win as Cartoon Network's most-watched Thursday prime time performance year-to-date and second-best overall prime time performance to date in 2009.

A series spin-off to last year's Total Drama Island�Cartoon Network's #1 series in 2008 among kids 6-11 and 9-14�Total Drama Action proved even more potent that its predecessor, which premiered in the same timeframe last year. Compared to the Total Drama Island premiere on June 5, 2008, Total Drama Action out-delivered kids 2-11 by 81%, kids 6-11 by 85% and kids 9-14 by 140%. Even more significantly, boys 2-11 delivery increased by 103%, boys 6-11 delivery by 101% and boys 9-14 delivery by 174%.

Highlights from the Total Drama Action series premiere, as well as Cartoon Network's HAR HAR THARSDAYS prime time performance compared to the same time period last year, include the following:

Total Drama Action is an animated comedy that showcases all the elements of favorite reality TV shows within the framework of an exciting, larger-than-life elimination competition. Created by FreshTV Inc., Total Drama Action delivers the best moments of reality television: romances and friendships, scheming and sabotage, death-defying stunts and stomach-curdling challenges. The 14 lead contestants from 2008's Total Drama Island series return to face thrilling challenges in an abandoned film studio backlot�all inspired by the movies! Participants compete for rewards and the hope of winning the monster cash prize of one million dollars. Every second episode, contestants will face the dramatic Gilded Chris Ceremony, where one unlucky loser will walk the green mile and ride the �lame-ousine� home, never to return.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

RATING PERIOD: 5/08/09 � 5/14/09

SOURCE: Turner Entertainment Research from Preliminary Nielsen Media Research data, based on most current data available (Live+SD). Complete and final data (Live+7) will be available in two weeks. These television ratings data are reproduced here with permission from Nielsen Media Research. Reproduction of these data in volume, without permission from Nielsen Media Research, is prohibited.

NOTES: All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 114,500,000 homes.